Winning Streak
by lilmisswritergal4eva82719511
Summary: Charlie, Billy, Em, Sander, Naren, Gabe, Liv, Fido, Tanc - "The endowed are competitive. They strive to win... No matter what it takes." Five types of "competition;" three types of "competitive;" one type of "competitor;" and one type of "compete."


**A/N: I'm writing this on Sunday, March 27, 2011; on Tuesday, I have a competition for Restaurant Services, which is pretty much a club that teaches you how to be a high-class waiter/waitress. So, I'm nervous, and I was trying to balance two plates in one hand (which is harder than it looks, BTW), and then I'm like "What would the CB characters do in competitions?" So voila! And these are all in different points in the series, or pre-series, or post-series. You'll know where they're supposed to go when you read it. And this is partially to make up for my (not-so-great) post from last PULL.**

**Disclaimer: Characters – courtesy a la Jenny Nimmo. Definitions – courtesy a la Webster's Universal College Dictionary.**

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><p><em><strong>Competition<strong>_

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><p><em>1. The act of competing; rivalry for supremacy, a prize, etc.; <em>_competition between two teams__._

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><p>For Charlie, winning the endowed… <em>conflict<em> is probably the best word. Winning the conflict is one of the most important things to Charlie.

He wants, no, _needs_ to win. For the sake of his sanity, really. Because if he wins, his friends are safe, his family is safe, his _mother_ is safe, his _father_ will be _back and be safe_…

That's the _most_ important thing: his father. Getting him back means Charlie's won _(he's the victor)_, and Charlie winning also means the Bloor's won't, and then they won't hurt anyone _ever again_.

So Charlie competes, and he's not giving up.

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><p><em>2. A contest for some prize, honour, or advantage; <em>_to enter a competition__._

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><p>Billy is not bad.<p>

Billy's not a _backstabber_, a _cheater_, a _double-crossing liar_, like everyone thinks he is.

He's doing something he needs to do. Everyone else competes for something; they _all want something_. So why can't he?

Billy will learn later that sometimes what you want and what you have to do are so contradicting, it'll make a person's head spin, and he _will_ make the right choice. But for right now, he's an eight-year-old boy who wants parents and is trying to survive. So if he competes and switches every now and again to get that, then forgive Billy for being a _human being_.

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><p><em>3. The rivalry offered by a competitor; <em>_small businesses getting competition from the chain stores__._

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><p>That damn shop means <em>everything<em> to Emma.

It's the place where she reads for hours on end when she has nothing better to do. It's the place she runs to when she's sad and needs to bawl her eyes out in her room. It's the place where she got ready for her first date, and it's the place she ran to when she needed to call her friends about how it was a complete disaster. It's the place with family dinners and movie nights with her friends and countless drawings littered every which way and that.

It's the place she thinks of when she hears the word "home."

Because it is. It's her home; it's the place she met her aunt, where she got her first job, _where Emma Tolly actually starting living her life_.

And she is _not_ letting some petty competitor run _her_ store out of business. Because the store going out of business means moving, and going far, far away, and leaving everything – _her whole real life_ – leaving it _behind_.

And that is _not_ okay with Emma. Because Emma Tolly has built her life around that one little store and she's not losing _any of it_.

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><p><em>4. A competitor or competitors.<em>

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><p>Lysander is more competitive than most people give him credit for. After all, he fought Demetrius for Hermia and won, didn't he? Okay, so that was actually the character in a Shakespeare play that he was named after, but it works.<p>

But the thing is, Lysander is not pushover; he fights for what he wants.

And quite frankly, he kind of (_really, really_) wants Lauren. Okay, so maybe that sounds kind of (_really, really_) creepy, but it's kind of (_really, really_) the truth.

And Lysander's not going to sit around while some _guy_ who just kind of (_really, really_) doesn't deserve Lauren flaunt her around like she's some sort of _possession_ when she's kind of (_really, really_) a precious, delicate, beautiful prize, that's worth more than anything else he's ever known.

Lysander's competitive, and sure, he's only fourteen and not yet really old enough to feel love but he knows this feeling he has for her is stronger than anything else and is not going away; he's not giving up on her.

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><p><em>5. The struggle among organisms, both of same and of different species, for food, space, and other vital requirements.<em>

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><p>It may be surprising, but Naren is a <em>very<em> wild child. It comes with being raised in a forest.

Most of her life, Naren's been locked away, in the woods and from civilization. And therefore, she's dreamed of the city and the lights and places she'd see and the _people_. Not that the animals aren't great, but _sometimes_ a girl _needs_ some _human_ company, y'know?

So Naren competes with the bears and the rabbits and the evil river monster she _knows_ is there (even though nobody will believe her… not that she blames them. She was six when she made her claim and she hasn't seen it since then, and she's seen the weird shadows animals make… But she _knows_ it's there). Naren competes to survive because she has a _dream_ to see these amazing places, and she knows that she's going to meet someone (who she'll late find out is Charlie) who's going to show her the places she's always dreamed of seeing and in the end, _it'll all be worth it_.

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><p><em><strong>Competitive<strong>_

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><p><em>1. Of, pertaining to, involving, or decided by competition.<em>

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><p>When it comes down to it, Gabriel didn't want any part of it.<p>

But it wasn't Gabriel's choice to make and he sucks it up and decides to make the best of it, because it was practically written in his blood that _this is what he must do_ and _he has to do it_ but it is not written _he will not make the most of it_.

So Gabriel thinks that maybe he should treat it like a staring contest; who will blink first? Who will close their eyes so quickly, but long enough for the other side to make a move and win?

Gabriel doesn't care which side it is; he just wants to be there to find out. And if it's his side, he's going to make sure that blink's shorter than any blink ever, and if he can't; he'll be there and he can help pick up the pieces that one little blink left.

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><p><em>2. Well suited for competition; having a feature advantageous to competition; <em>_a competitive price__._

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><p>Fidelio was born a prodigy.<p>

He's heard it so many times he wonders if it's actually true, and he sees some of the other players at the school, and in the city, and in the world, and he just doubts himself some more.

But Fidelio's got one thing going for him, and that's competition. What he doesn't have in talent, he makes up in determination. He'll fight for that one last spot in _anything_, _everything_, to prove he belongs where he is. And yes, Fidelio will fight to prove that no one can take his spot because it's _his_ and _he's_ the one who spent all this _time_ and _effort_ making sure that spot is _his_.

(And Fidelio's not just talking about his music. He's talking about his whole damn life.)

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><p><em>3. Having a strong desire to compete or to succeed.<em>

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><p>Everyone will see her name in lights and they'll know Olivia was a star meant to shine.<p>

People think it's kind of cliché, but she's going to prove them wrong. They think she won't make it, because it's _so_ obvious she will, and Olivia will laugh at them, because answer this; where is she _now_?

Except right now, Olivia isn't anywhere. Not yet, anyway. Just wait a while, and she'll show them.

She's about to go to this school, and her name is in already in the paper because of it, and she's gone from the bottom, to fast approaching the middle, and just wait – soon she'll be on top and Olivia will have the last laugh, because _she showed them_, now didn't she?

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><p><em><strong>Competitor<strong>_

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><p><em>1. A person, team, company, etc. that competes; rival.<em>

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><p>To Tancred, everything is a <em>game<em>. It's funny how sadistic that sounds, but it is.

He's just a pawn in a (_'conflict,' Charlie says_) war that happened before the middle ages, and Tancred decides he'll make the best of it. He always thought it'd be every man (and woman) for himself (and herself)

Tancred sees that everyone is competing for something, and so he won't hold them back. He thought they'd all turn on each other eventually, and he's still (_dreading_) waiting for it, but right now he's (_happy he's_) wrong.

But with all things considered, they're his friends, his enemies, the people he's competing against, and lately it's not so much of a game and more of real life and it doesn't bother Tancred as much as he thought it would.

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><p><em><strong>Compete<strong>_

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><p><em>1. To strive to outdo another for acknowledgement, a prize, etc.; engage in a contest.<em>

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><p>The endowed are competitive. They strive to win. Sometimes, it comes in handy.<p>

And if there's a problem with that; well then, that's just too bad.

Because they will _always_ win. No matter what it takes.

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><p><strong>AN: So, I came in second in my competition, BTW. I have a shiny silver medal, and I am **_**haaaaappy**_** :) And happy April Fool's Day, everyone! :) I don't play pranks on people, but I figured it'd be cool to wish it. And also, sorry about the varying lengths. They were **_**all**_** supposed to be 93 words, but **_**that**_** went down the drain. Oh well. I'd have to say though; Emma's was my favourite :)**

**Word Count: 1,458**

**Time Posted: 11:35 – 11:50 PM**

**- May :)**


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